Young people are feeling strong pressure to succeed in school, no matter the cost, a new survey has found. More than two out of five teens (44 percent) say they feel either a lot or overwhelming pressure to succeed in school, no matter the cost. And more girls than boys feel this heavy burden to succeed. Those are among the findings of the fourth annual “Teen Ethics Poll” released by JA Worldwide™ (Junior Achievement) and Deloitte & Touche USA LLP (Deloitte).
The survey, designed to take the ethical pulse of teens aged 13 to 18, found a notable gender gap among those who reported “a lot” or “overwhelming” pressure to succeed in school at any cost: fully half of the girls (50 percent) – but only 38 percent of the boys – felt this burden to do well in school. Teens also hold a dim view on the ethics of their peers. Many (44 percent) say high school students behave unethically, placing them, in their eyes, below doctors, teachers, professional athletes and business leaders.
The survey also raised an apparent discrepancy between how students define ethical behavior and what constitutes such behavior:
• In a seemingly positive trend, the percentage of students who say they would not act unethically to get ahead or make more money, even if they knew for sure they would not get caught (59 percent), has increased by 40 percent since 2003.
• However, this is juxtaposed against the fact that many teens admitted they had personally engaged in unethical behavior in the last year by lying (69 percent), downloading a song without paying (34 percent), and cheating on tests (22 percent).
Eight in 10 (81 percent) students who feel significant pressure to succeed, no matter the cost, think it’s going to remain the same or get worse when they join the workforce. And more than a quarter (29 percent) of all teens believe they are currently only somewhat or not at all prepared to make ethical decisions. “We have to take it seriously when students who are under so much stress tell us they think it’s not going to get any better, especially if they don’t feel prepared to make the right calls,” said Ainar D. Aijala, Jr., vice chairman and deputy chief executive officer of Deloitte Consulting LLP and chairman of the board of JA Worldwide.
Experts agree that these results raise a red flag. “The notion that large numbers of students feel somewhat unprepared to make ethical decisions, coupled with the fact that they feel pressure to succeed at all costs, is a troubling combination,” said David Miller Ph.D., Executive Director of the Yale Center for Faith and Culture and Assistant Professor (Adjunct) of Business Ethics. “We are reminded that community and corporate leaders can play a pivotal role in helping prepare students to recognize and resist the inevitable ethical dilemmas they will face later in life.”
These results suggest a profound need for training in ethical decision-making.
The 2006 “Teen Ethics Poll” was commissioned by Junior Achievement and Deloitte and conducted by Harris Interactive during September 2006; 787 students between the ages of 13 and 18 participated.
Methodology_This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive® on behalf of Junior Achievement and Deloitte between September 13 to September 21, 2006 among 787 teens ages 13-18. Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, parental education, and region were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population.
With a pure probability sample of 787 one could say with a ninety-five percent probability that the overall results have a sampling error of +/-3 percentage points. Sampling error for data based on sub-samples may be higher and may vary. However, this does not take other sources of error into account. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no theoretical sampling error can be calculated._These statements conform to the principles of disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.
About JA Worldwide™ (Junior Achievement)_JA Worldwide is the world's largest organization dedicated to inspiring and preparing young people to succeed in a global economy. Through a dedicated volunteer network, JA Worldwide provides in-school and after-school programs for students in grades K-12. JA Worldwide offers educational programs that focus on seven key content areas: business, citizenship, economics, entrepreneurship, ethics/character, financial literacy, and career development. Today, 139 individual area operations reach approximately four million students in the United States, with more than 3.5 million students served by operations in 100 countries worldwide. For more information, visit www.ja.org.
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